A friend of mine who is in counseling recently brought it to my attention that her therapist said it would be on her to acknowledge or initiate a conversation if she sees her in public. I assured her that this is standard, but she did not see the risk in saying “hi” or care if anybody knows she is in therapy. Do you think this “standard” rule in ethics is outdated? In the past, mental health was not as talked about and accepted as it is today -- having a therapist is no longer taboo.
“Let me tell ya something. Nowadays, everybody’s gotta go to shrinks, and counselors, and go on “Sally Jessy Raphael” and talk about their problems.”-Tony Soprano
Shows and movies like The Sopranos, Analyze This, Good Will Hunting, 50/50, In Treatment, Keeping up With the Kardashians, The Real Housewives and many more contribute to breaking the stigma that has often been associated with getting help for mental health. More and more celebrities are talking about their mental health struggles: “As more celebs come out and get a supportive response, it’s encouraging other people to do so, too -- and the truth is, people need support and understanding to be their best selves.” -Katrina Gay, national director of communications and public affairs at National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Life can be very demanding for both adults and children, there is freedom in admitting imperfection and seeking help. The media has certainly broken silence and added to the conversation about mental health. Seeing a Wake Forest Counselor can help you build mental and emotional strength to take on everyday challenges. I think my friend’s casual response to the rule of ethics pertaining to seeing her therapist in public is a great representation of how far the acceptance of mental health has come. Whether you find this rule of ethics outdated or not, keep in mind it’s simply there to protect client confidentiality. The counseling experience is a personal one and it’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it with others -- the most important thing is that you are getting help. On the other hand, if you see your therapist out and about and want to say hi -- go for it! THERAPY IS NOT TABOO 😊
At A Little Counseling we put the spotlight on anxiety. Here is what Hollywood is saying about anxiety:
Ariana Grande “I’ve always had anxiety, but it had never been physical before. There were a couple months straight where I felt so upside down.”
Kendall Jenner “I have such debilitating anxiety because of everything going on that I literally wake in the middle of the night with full-on panic attacks.”
Adelle “I can slip in and out of depression quite easily. I had really bad postpartum depression after I had my son, and it frightened me. I didn’t talk to anyone about it. I was reluctant…four of my friends felt the same way I did, and everyone was too embarrassed to talk about it.”
Ryan Reynolds “I never, ever slept. The expectations were eating me alive” – describing anxiety he experienced while filming a movie
Chrissy Teigen “I also just didn’t think it could happen to me. I have a great life. But post partum does not discriminate. And that is the reason it took me so long to speak up: I felt selfish, icky, and weird saying aloud that I’m struggling. Sometimes I still do.”
Beyonce “I would sit there at ceremonies and they would give me an award and I was just thinking about my next performance. My mother was very persistent and told me to take care of my mental health.”
Miley Cyrus “Depression is more of an issue than people really want to talk about. Because people don’t know how to talk about being depressed-that its totally okay to feel sad.”
Demi Lovato “I think it’s important to no longer look at mental illness as something taboo to talk about.”
Emma Stone “The first time I had a panic attack I was sitting in my friends house, and I thought the house was burning down. I called my mom and she brought me home and for the next three years it just would not stop.”
Dwayne Johnson “I found that, with depression, one of the most important things you could realize is that you are not alone.”
Ellie Goulding “I started having panic attacks and the scariest part was that it could be triggered by anything.”
Zayn Malik “That’s why my anxiety is so upsetting and difficult to explain. It’s this thing that swells up and blocks out your rational thought process.”
Kristen Stewart “Between the ages of 15-20, it was really intense. I was constantly anxious. I was kind of a control freak. If I didn’t know how something was going to turn out…it was really debilitating.”
